General Cease and Desist

About the template

General Cease and Desist

A Cease and Desist is a letter sent to an individual or business that is engaging in unwelcome or illegal behaviour. The Cease and Desist acts as a formal request that the recipient stop ("cease") and not continue ("desist") this behaviour. If the recipient of the letter fails to comply with these demands, the sender should be prepared to take further legal action to stop the behaviour that is harming or interfering with the sender's rights and abilities to conduct business.

This Cease and Desist can be used by a sender to demand that any offensive or unwanted behaviour stop.

How to use this document

A Cease and Desist letter includes the following basic elements:

Sender: an individual or business who is requesting that a behaviour stop

Recipient: an individual or business who is being asked to stop a behaviour

A detailed description of the offending behaviour and the negative effects the behaviour has had

A warning that a lawsuit will result if the offending behaviour does not stop

A deadline by which the offending behaviour must stop or else further legal action will be taken

This Cease and Desist letter is general purpose and may be used as a request that a business or individual stop any offensive or unwanted behaviour. This letter allows the sender to provide a detailed description of the offensive behaviour and the harm that the behaviour has caused.

Once the letter has been completed, it is preferable to send it via registered mail to the individual or business that has been conducting the offensive behaviour. The person or business sending the letter may also retain a copy in case further legal action is required.

Applicable law

There are no laws outlining what must be included in a Cease and Desist letter. However, best practices dictate that a Cease and Desist include a detailed description of the offending behaviour and a clear demand that the behaviour stop or else legal action will be taken. Further, Cease and Desist letters are often used in later court cases to show that the Defendant was put on notice about their offending behaviour, so the more detailed the letter, the better.

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